In an environment in which computers and a set of printers are connected in a network, and where the printers are managed by one or more print servers, it is often the case, that a printer is unable to print a print job due to any hardware or software-related issue in the printer. Consequently, all print jobs in the printer's queue are blocked or delayed. In many cases depending on the originating users' time schedules and frustration level, the users send their concerned documents to another printer. However, the original print jobs remain in the print queue and when the printer's malfunctioning is resolved and/or the preceding print jobs in the print queue have been processed, those print jobs are subsequently printed and result in a waste of paper.
It is also observed, that even if these documents are not resent to another printer, if the delay is too long, the user might find another way of accessing or reading the document (e.g., consulting the electronic format on screen) and abandon the printed document anyway.
Further, the users often request a printout with a default printer and notice that the printer's setting did not fit the user's need, therefore instead he selects another, more appropriate printer, for instance a printer able to provide the required finishing capabilities or color. In that case the user re-prints the document on another printer. Also, users sometimes launch the print job too quickly and decide right after to make some additional changes to do in the document. They will then do the corrections and print the document again. In both cases, if both prints are executed, one of them will be a waste copy.